1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI's) and more specifically to a GFCI having reduced sensitivity to interference caused by radio frequency signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Present day GFCI circuits include by-pass capacitors, inductive chokes, and noise filters on signal lines and sensitive parts of the circuitry to the direct current (DC) Ground terminal to suppress interference caused by radio frequencies. While the components that are currently being used are adequate for radio frequency signals used in the past, they are not fully effective for signals in the spectrum of radio frequencies which are now being used. For example, cell phones use signals having frequencies which can interfere with the operation of a GFCI by not only causing nuisance tripping of the GFCI, but can also cause a GFCI to fail by subjecting one or more of the components in the GFCI to excessive stress. What is needed is GFCI circuitry for reducing interference caused by radio frequencies.